Date: November 14, 2022
To: President Joseph R. Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Biden:
The undersigned 167 organizations appreciate that your administration has restored rigorous, science-based decision-making to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal agencies as they develop solutions for pollution that will protect public health. Turning the page on the disastrous and deadly
anti-science agenda of the previous administration is literally a matter of life and death for people across the nation. While we were encouraged to see the introduction of many important safeguards in your Spring 2022 plan we write to share our deep concern that many of the actions continue to be delayed. Time is of the utmost essence, but for a number of these actions, the timeline is already slipping into 2023. We believe the science is clear and that there is quite literally no time for delay in setting strong limits on air pollution, specifically for fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) or soot.
Soot pollution exposure causes increased infant mortality, cardiovascular disease, asthma, diabetes, cognitive impairments, and even premature death. As is often the case, these health burdens are disproportionately borne by communities already overburdened by pollution, particularly lower-income households and communities of color who are more likely to live near heavily polluting facilities and high-traffic roadways. Simply put, soot is deadly. And each day that passes without updated limits is another day that millions of Americans are exposed to unhealthy and potentially deadly levels of soot pollution. Additionally, the delay in pushing forward a strong soot pollution standard is also holding back the co-benefits we would see for nature and our ecosystems as well as in reductions in other air and climate pollution.
We are united in our call for the EPA to set the strongest possible protections to limit soot pollution without delay. Specifically, we call on your administration to quickly set National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter pollution of no higher than 8 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3) for the annual standard and no higher than 25 μg/m3 for the 24-hour standard. Doing so could avoid nearly 20,000 premature deaths annually. It will also begin to mitigate long-standing environmental and health injustices faced by fenceline communities and will benefit people and the environment across the country.
In August, we applauded the advancement of the soot pollution standards to interagency review at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). However, we are deeply concerned to see that polluters secured additional meetings–sometimes more than once–further delaying the process at the expense of improved health and environmental justice outcomes for communities that have borne the brunt of this pollution. OMB has already exceeded the mandated 90-day deadline on several appliance efficiency standards and for pollutants like hydrofluorocarbons, giving us cause for concern. Knowing that the mercury and air toxics standards are also languishing adds to the frustration. We hoped this soot standard would come open for public comment by the end of summer, consistent with EPA’s public statements, but it is now November without a proposal in sight.
Mr. President, Americans are depending on your administration to protect their right to clean air and healthy communities. People need and deserve to know if their air is safe to breathe. Without science-based, updated air quality standards, too many remain in the dark regarding their local conditions. That is why we need solutions for pollution–and we need them now. We urge you to move quickly to advance and finalize stronger soot pollution standards and to swiftly move all rules forward that protect public health, stave off the worst of the climate crisis, and improve the quality of our lives. Every additional day of delay means hazy skies and more toxic soot pollution in the lungs of our vulnerable children and seniors. We urge you to act as swiftly and boldly as possible. The eyes of our community, the nation, and the world are upon you.
Sincerely,
10 Votes
350 Humboldt
AFGE Local 704
Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
American Society of Perianesthesia Nurses (ASPAN)
American Sustainable Business Network
Animals Are Sentient Beings, Inc.
Appalachian Gamechangers
Appalachian Mountain Club
Appalachian Voices
Arizona Climate Action Coalition
Arizona Interfaith Power & Light
Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America - Michigan Chapter
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
Aytzim: Ecological Judaism
Between the Waters
Black Millennials 4 Flint
Breathe Project
California Communities Against Toxics
CALPIRG Students
Center for American Progress
Center for Biological Diversity
Change the Chamber*Lobby for Climate
Clean Air Council
Clean Energy for America
Clean Water Action/Clean Water Fund
CleanAIRE NC
CODEPINK San Francisco Bay Area
Concerned Citizens of Cook County
Connecticut Interfaith Power & Light
Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania
Defend Our Future
Delaware Sikh Coalition
Detroit Green Skills Alliance
Dogwood Alliance
Don't Waste Arizona
Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power and Light
Earth Rise Indivisible and Climate Reality Project, NOVA Chapter
Earthjustice
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon
Elders Climate Action
Elders Climate Action - Arizona
Elected Officials to Protect America
Environmental Defense Fund
Environmental Health Project
Environmental Law & Policy Center
Evangelical Environmental Network
Evergreen Action
Extinction Rebellion San Francisco Bay Area
Extinction Rebellion US
Faith in Place
Faith In Place Action Fund
First Focus on Children
Florida Rising
Forest Keeper
FreshWater Accountability Project
Fridays for Future
Friends For Environmental Justice
Friends of the Earth
Georgia Conservation Voters
Georgia Interfaith Power and Light
Georgia WAND Education Fund Inc
Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA)
Great Lakes Business Network
Green Door Initiative
Green New Deal for DC
Green the Church
GreenLatinos
Group Against Smog & Pollution
Harambee House, Inc. / Citizens for Environmental Justice
Health Care Without Harm
Healthy Dubois County (Indiana)
Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah (HEAL Utah)
Hispanic Access Foundation
Hispanic Federation
IASN
Indivisible
Interfaith Power & Light
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
Keystone Progress Education Fund
Kids Climate Action Network
Larimer Alliance for Health, Safety, & the Environment
League of Conservation Voters
Locust Point Community Garden
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health
MI Air MI Health
Mi Familia Vota
MI Interfaith Power & Light
Michigan Climate Action Network
Michigan Clinicians for Climate Action
Michigan League of Conservation Voters
Michigan Student Power Alliance
Michigan Sustainable Business Forum
Moms Clean Air Force
Moms Clean Air Force GA
Montana Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate
Mothers & Others For Clean Air
MoveOn.org HobokenRESIST
National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA)
National Medical Association
National Parks Conservation Association
National Wildlife Federation
National Wildlife Federation (NH)
New Hampshire Youth Movement
New Mexico & El Paso Region Interfaith Power and Light
New Mexico Environmental Law Center
NextGen America
NH Youth Movement
NJ Audubon
Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition
Original United Citizens of Southwest
Our Revolution Northern Virginia
Passionist Solidarity Network
PennEnvironment
PennFuture
Pennsylvania Council of Churches
Pennsylvania Interfaith Power and Light
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania
Poder Latinx
Presbyterian Church (USA) Office of Public Witness
Protegete
PSR Arizona Chapter
Rachel Carson Council
Rep GA Institute Inc
Respiratory Health Association
Responsible Alpha
Revolving Door Project
Root Local
San Francisco Bay Physicians for Social Responsibility
SC Health Professionals for Climate Action
Scientist Rebellion
Service Employees International Union
Sierra Club
Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Southwestern Indiana Citizens for Quality of LifeMa
Terra Advocati
Texas Campaign for the Environment
Th!rd Act - VA
The Clean Air Coalition of WNY
The Climate Reality Project: Philadelphia and Southeastern PA Chapter
The Enviro Show
The Last Beach Cleanup
The People's Justice Council
The Porter Family Foundation
The Quantum Institute
Third Act Richmond
Three Rivers Waterkeeper
Tucson Audubon Society
UnidosUS Action Fund
Union of Concerned Scientists
Unitarian Universalist Action of New Hampshire
Unite North Metro Denver
Unlimited Potential
US Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development
Valley Watch, Inc.
Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action
Warehouse Workers for Justice
Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility
Waterway Advocates
West Virginia New Jobs Coalition
WildEarth Guardians
Wisconsin Conservation Voters
Wisconsin Health Professionals for Climate Action
Young Evangelicals for Climate Action